DESPERATE Birmingham pensioners are putting their lives at risk from food poisoning because they are turning off fridges and freezers to save on energy bills, it was revealed today.

DESPERATE Birmingham pensioners are putting their lives at risk from food poisoning because they are turning off fridges and freezers to save on energy bills, it was revealed today.

The revelation comes as latest figures reveal the number of food poisoning cases in Birmingham have almost doubled in the last three years.

Between March 2008 and March 2009 GPs reported 1,187 cases of food poisoning suffered by patients in the city.

During the same period between 2009 and 2010, 1610 cases were reported – an increase of almost 500 compared to the previous year.

And between March 2010 and March this year 2,109 people reported suffering food poisoning, seeing cases shoot up by almost 100 per cent in just three years.

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council’s public protection committee said: “We receive notifications about all food poisoning cases and then investigate the possible causes. As yet we don’t have any concrete reasons for this increase.”

But Flo Betts, financial inclusion manager at Birmingham Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB), said: “We are having people coming in saying they have been left so poverty-stricken by rising fuel bills that they are no longer using their fridges and freezers and as a consequence have suffered food poisoning, which is incredibly worrying.”

She said on average up to 400 people facing financial ruin because they cannot pay their fuel bills are flocking each day to CAB’s offices in Northfield, Handsworth, Tyseley, Kingstanding, Northfield and Bull Street in the city centre.

“Some people say they are having to resort to living out of one room in their house as they cannot afford to have electricity or gas appliances running in other rooms,” she added. “There are people who have run up debts and been cut off, or cut their own gas or electricity supplies off by not using their metres.”

And she said it was not just the elderly or people on benefits facing financial crisis due to high fuel costs.

“We are seeing working people who make a reasonable living coming in with debt problems, often the breaking point is the fact they have received a gas or electricity bill that has shot up and tipped their financial problems over the edge,” she said.

“This is no longer just a problem for the unemployed, low income families or elderly, this is very much a problem for everyone as the cost of living has soared so much yet salaries are not reflecting that, people are finding themselves facing pay freezes or even redundancy.

“What’s more worrying is we are facing a very cold winter and I am worried we are going to see many deaths due to fuel poverty.”

The news comes as Scottish and Southern Energy, which owns Southern Electric, Swalec and Scottish Hydro, announced it was to increase gas prices by an average of 18 per cent and electricity prices by 11 per cent from September 14 – seeing the average consumer’s fuel bill rise by £171 a year.

British Gas has also revealed that gas bills for nine million home owners would rise by 18 per cent from August, with a 16 per cent rise in electricity bills, and Scottish Power last month said bills for its 2.4million customers were to rise by 19 per cent for gas and 10 per cent for electricity.

Shadow Energy Secretary Meg Hillier has called for the Competition Commission to launch an urgent inquiry into Britain’s energy companies. “Public trust in the energy companies has sunk so low that only an external investigation can restore that,” she said. “People are struggling now. This Government is squeezing households so tight they have nowhere to go when another commodity increases in price.”

A NEW guide aimed at steering families away from spiralling into debt has been created by Birmingham consumer experts and council officials.

The booklet, called Birmingham on a Budget, is packed with tips on saving cash on everything from travelling to eating out.

It is currently being rolled off the presses and is due to be distributed to neighbourhood offices and libraries across the city.

Bosses behind the initiative hope it will also help families plan free or cheap days out to entertain their children during the summer holidays – helping in turn to boost visitor numbers for some of the city’s attractions.

Among its suggestions for bargain days out include trips to Sarehole Mill in Hall Green, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; and Blakesley Hall in Yardley.

It has been produced by Birmingham City Council’s Financial Inclusion Partnership, set up three years ago, which aims to stop people facing money worries.

Hasan Wazir, strategy co-ordinator for the partnership, said: “Since the economic down-turn we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people at breaking point with mounting debts and financial problems. We want to arm people with as much information as possible to be able to learn to budget and live free of debt.

“We think this booklet will help on so many levels as it’s a complete guide to handling your finances, from where to get help if you’re in trouble, to how to borrow money sensibly and avoid loan sharks.”

Coun Ayoub Khan, the council’s cabinet member for local services and community safety, added: “Our priority is to protect the people of Birmingham who rely on us. By providing them with tools such as this guide we can ensure they can compete and succeed economically in these challenging times.”

The 24-page booklet cost £1,500 to produce and has been funded by Birmingham Citizens Advice Bureau, who helped to compile it along with Birmingham Trading Standards, Birmingham Settlement, the Debt Advice Team and the Department for Work and Pension.